Key holder support for key cases



June 13, 1944. P, HARV 2,351,205

/ KEY HOLD ER SUPPORT FOR KEY CASES Filed Nov. 4, 1942 INVENTOR Wv-W ATTORNEYS Patented June 13, 1944 KEY HOLDER SUPPOR'B FOR KEY CASES Robert P. Harvey, Longmeadow, Mass, assignor to Buxton, Incorporated, Springfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 4, 1942, Serial No. 464,538

6 Claims.

I This invention relates to an improvement in key cases and. more particularly to the key holder supporting means by which the individual key holders are made easily detachable from their support.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simplified structure for the above purpose, employing a minimum of parts and which is light in weight and economical to manufacture.

Other and further objects residing in the de-' tails of construction will be made apparent in the following specification and claims.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a key case embodying the invention, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view Substantially on line 2--2of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the key holder supporting device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, parts being broken away, of a key holder support embodying a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view, parts being broken away, of a key holder support embodying a different modification of the device;

Fig. 6 is a rear perspective view, but showing an alternative arrangement of the bearing members and further modifications in the structure;

Fig. 7 is a rear perspective view of a key plate embodying the invention but showing an alternative plate formation; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. l but showing the parts in position to release the key holders.

' All of the figures of the drawing are on a somewhat enlarged and disproportionate scale in order to better show the construction.

Referring to the drawing, the key holder support is generally indicated at I0, and in Fig. 1 is shown secured to a case II formed of leather or other suitable material. Case II may take any conventional or desired form. The support may be formed of any suitable material and comprises a plate portion I2, by which the holder is secured to the case as by means of rivets I 3 or other suitable means, and a plurality of spaced members l4 extending from one edge of the plate. The members I4 are bent or curved to form a generally cylindrical portion as indicated at I5. The spaces between the members I4 form slots I6 to receive the shanks ll of individual key holders I8 having enlarged heads I9 by which the key holders are normally held in the slots for swinging and swivel movement relative to th support. The outer ends of the holders are shown formed into loops 20 in which one Or more keys may be engaged but it will be understood that the present invention may be used for any desired type of key holder of the headed end variety.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8, the free ends of members l4, at least those intermediate the end members, terminate short of plate portion I2 to form a longitudinal slot 23 into which the ends of slots I6 open. Slot 23 is of suflicient transverse width to allow passage of the keyholder heads thus permitting the key holders to be re- .moved from the support unless the exits of slots l6 are barred.

The free ends of the end members I4 are extended somewhat beyond the'ends of the intermediate members and are rolled to form cylindrical'bearings 24. The axes of bearings 24 are substantially parallel to the axis of the generally cylindrical portion l5 and adjacent the wall of the cylindrical portion.

The bearings 24 support a gate member normally barring the exits of slots I6 but movable in the bearings to open the slots. This gate mem ber preferably is in the form of a rod 25 having portions 26 journaled in the bearings 24. The portion of the rod intermediate the bearings is offset, to provide a portion 21 engaging the free end portions of members [4 and bridging the slots I6 to bar exit of the key holders therefrom. The free ends of members I4 are preferably hooked as shown at 28 to partially engage around the gate rod when the latter is in slot closing position, so

that the rod acts as a reenforcement to distribute the outward pull on members. l4 exerted by the key holders as when a key on one of the holders is being manipulated in, or withdrawn from a lock.

One end of the rod. 25'is extended beyond its bearing to form an operating lever or handle 29 bent at right angles to the body of the rod and by which the rod can be rocked in the bearings 24 to swing the offset portion 21 inwardly of the generally cylindrical portion l5, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and in full line in Fig. 8, thus unbarring the open ends of the slots It to permit passage of the key holders from the support as shown in Fig. 8. As best shown in Fig. 2, the oflsetting of the portion 21 of th gate rod from the bearings causes the offset portion 21 to swing away from the inner wall of the cylindrical portion l5 and thus permits the head IQ of the key holder to be moved around the gate and through the opened ends of the slots IS.

A spring 30 normally keeps the gate in slot closing position and returns it to the-latter position after it has been moved to open position by depressing handle 29.

Fig. 4 shows a modified arrangement in which the lever 29 and spring 30 are omitted. In this form the portion of the gate rod between the bearings 24 and the slot closing ofiset portion 21 is positioned outwardly beyond the ends of the generally cylindrical portion [5, as at 32. The hooked portions 33 at the ends of the intermediate members l4 are extended slightly so that some force is necessary to seat the portion 21 of the gate rod in the hooks 33, there being sufficient spring action provided in the members M or the gate rod or both, to permit seating of the rod in the hooks and to normally retain the gate in slot closing position. In this f ormthe gate is moved to and from closed position by means of the portion 32.

Where relatively thin material is used for the support it may be desirable to have the free ends of the members I4 connected together both when the gate is closed and when it is open. One way of doing this is shown in Fig. .5 in which the end of each member I4 is provided with a bearing 35 similar to the bearings 24 previously described. One portion 36 of theigate rod extends through all of the bearings .35, Beyond one end bearing the rod is bent upwardly as ,at 31 and then backwardly substantially parallel to portion 36 to pro- Vide the ofiset slot closing portion 21. The opposite end of portion 36 is extended beyond the other end bearing and bent to form the handle lever 29 provided with actuating spring 30 as previously described. In this form the openend of slots I6 terminate in individual, enlarged openings 39 rather than a common enlarged slot. Ofiset portion 21 of the gate rod normally bars the formed outwardly of the generally cylindrical .por-

tion iii of the support. The gate member is provided with the slot closing ofiset portion 21 and handle 29 as in the first form described, but spring .30 is omitted and th end of the generally cylindrical portion I5 is provided with a notch 43 in which handle 29 engages to normally retain the gate rod in slot closing position. When it is .de- .sired to open the slots for removal of one or more key holders, handle 29 is sprung from the notch 4:3, which is permitted by the springiness of the rod material, and :the gate swimg to slot opening position. y

In the several forms so far described the members l'4 curve outwardly andupwardly from plate portion l2 and then rearwardly and downwardly to form the generally cylindrical portion l5, which is thus positioned above the upper edge of plate portion l2. As shown in Fig. 7, the members l4 may be bent outwardly, downwardly and rearwardly, thus placing the generally cylindrical portion [5 of the support, for the most part, below the upper edge of plate portion l2. Since in this form the upper ends of the slots t6 terminate at the upper edge of the plate portion, the latter is provided with enlarged openings 45 to which the slots l6 open and through which the heads of the key holders can pass.' The open ends of the slots'are normally barred by portion 21 of a gate rodsuch as previously described. Because of the reversal of the curvature of the generally cylindrical portion in the modification of Fig. 7, the bearings 46 for the gate member are formed from the plate portion I2.

I claim:

1. A key holder support comprising a plate portion for securing the support to a key case, a plurality of spaced members extending from one edge of said plate portion and curved to form a generally cylindrical portion, the spaces between said members forming slots to receive the shanks of key holders having enlarged heads by which heads the holders are normally retained in said slots, each of said slots having one end open to permit passage of the heads of the key holders from the generally cylindrical portion, at least two cylindrical bearings positioned adjacent the wall of the generally cylindrical portion and having their axes substantially parallel with the axis of the generally cylindrical portion, a gate member pivotally mounted in said bearings to swing within the said generally cylindrical portion, said gate being held by said bearings against substantial radial or longitudinal moveill) ment, said gate member having an ofiset portion which bars outward passage of the key holders from the open ends of the slots when the gate is in one position and permitting outward passage of the key holders when the gate is swung in its hearings to a second position, and means tending to retain said gate in its slot-closing position.

2. A key holder support comprising a plate portion for securing the support to .a key case, a plurality of spaced members extending from one edge of said plate portion and curved to form a generally cylindrical portion, the spaces between said members forming slots to receive the shanks of key holders having enlarged heads by which heads the holders are normally retained in said slots, each of said slots having one end open to permit passage of the heads of the key holders from the generally cylindrical portion, a gate member pivoted in bearings formed adjacent the wall of said generally cylindrical portion to swing within the latter, said gate member comprising a rod having portions journaled in said bearings and another portion bent to a position offset from said bearings, said offset portion barring outward passage of the key holders from the open ends of the slots when the gate is in one position and permitting outward passage of the key holders when the gate is swung in its bearings, and means tending to retain said gate in its slot-closing position.

3. A key holder support comprising .a plate portion for securing the support to a key case, a plurality of spaced members extending from one edge of said plate portion and curved to form a generally cylindrical portion, the spaces between said members forming slots to receive the shanks of key holders having enlarged beads by which heads the holders are normally retained in said slots, each of said slots having one end open to permit passage of the heads of the key holders from the generally cylindrical portion, a gate member pivoted in bearings formed adjacent the wall of said generally cylindrical POItl-OflxtO swing within the latter, said gate member comprising a rod having portions journaled in said bearings and another portion bent-to a position offset from said bearings, said ofiset portion barring outward passage of the key holders from the open ends of the slots when the gate is'in one position and permitting outward passage of the key holders when the gate is swung in its :bearings; one end of said rod extending through one of said bearings and outwardly of the said generally cylindrical portion, said outwardly extending portion being bent to provide a handle for moving the gate, and spring means normally retaining the gate in slot-closing position.

4. A key holder support comprising a plate portion for securing the support to a key case, a plurality of spaced members including end members and intermediate members extending from one edge of said plate portion and curved to form a generally cylindrical portion, the spaces between said members forming slots to receive the shanks of key holders having enlarged heads by which heads the holders are normally retained in said slots, the ends of said members opposite said plate portion being free, said free ends of the intermediate members terminating short of the plate portion to provide a slot extending longitudinally of the support and of greater width than the maximum diameter of the heads of holders, said first named slots opening to said last named slot, the free ends of said end members being bent to form bearings, a gate member comprising a rod having portions movably mounted in said bearings and portions offset from said bearings, said offset portions barring outward passage of the holders from the first named slots when said gate is in one position in said bearings, and to open said first named slots, when the gate is moved to another position in said bearings to permit passage of the key holders from said first named slots to said longitudinal slot, and means tending to retain said gate in slot-closing position.

5. A key holder support comprising a plate portion for securing the support to a key case, a plurality of spaced members including end members and intermediate members extending from one edge of said plate portion and curved to form a generally cylindrical portion, the spaces between said members forming slots to receive the shanks of key holders having enlarged heads by which heads the holders are normally retained in said slots, the ends of said members opposite said plate portion being free, said free ends of the intermediate members terminating short of the plate portion to provide a slot extending longitudinally of the support and of greater width than the maximum diameter of the heads of holders, said first named slots opening to said last named slot, the free ends of said end members being bent to form bearings, a gate member comprising a rod having portions movably mounted in said bearings and portions offset from said bearings, said offset portions barring outward passage of the holders from the first named slots when said gate is in one position in said bearings, and to open said first named slots, when the gate is moved to another position in said bearings, to permit passage of the key holders from said first named slots to said longitudinal slot, and means tending to retain said gate in a slot closing position, the free ends of said intermediate members being hooked to engage the gate rod when the latter is in slot closing position whereby the rod forms a reenforcement for said members against outward pull on the key holders.

6. A key holder support comprising a plate portion for securing the support to a key case, a plurality of spaced members extending from one edge of said plate portion and curved to form a generally cylindrical portion, the spaces between said members forming slots to receive the shanks of key holders having enlarged heads by which heads the holders are normally retained in the slots, the ends of said members opposite the plate being connected together, said slots being opened at one end sufficiently to permit passage of the heads of the holders, cylindrical bearings formed adjacent the wall of said generally cylindrical portion at the ends thereof and positioned with their axes substantially parallel with the axis of said generally cylindrical portion and offset from the open ends of the slots, a gate member comprising a rod having portions journaled in said bearings, the portion of said rod intermediate the bearings being offset to bar the opened end of the slots against passage of the key holders therefrom, said rod being rotatable in said bearings to swing its offset portion inwardly in the cylinder and away from the opened ends of the slot to permit passage of the holders therefrom, and means tending to hold said rod in slot closing position.

ROBERT P. HARVEY. 

